Politics & Government
Plans For Roundabout At Parent Entrance To School Scrapped
Plans for a roundabout at the parent entrance to Malcom Bridge Middle School are no longer being considered because of School Board.
Oconee County has abandoned plans to build a roundabout at the parent entrance to Malcom Bridge Middle School, cutting in half the number of planned or constructed roundabouts on Malcom Bridge Road between Mars Hill Road and Lenru Road.
Construction of the roundabout at the bus and staff entrance to Malcom Bridge Middle School and Malcom Bridge Elementary School will begin in spring and be completed before school starts in August, according to Oconee County Board of Commissioners Chair John Daniell.
Brock Toole, chief operations officer for Oconee County Schools, told the Board of Education at its meeting on Monday that, based on his conversations with staff in the county’s Public Works Department, the county no longer plans to construct the roundabout at the parent entrance.
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Toole provided that information in response to a question from Board of Education Member Tim Burgess.
Commission Chair John Daniell confirmed Wednesday that “the roundabout at the parent entrance is not under consideration at this time and the BOE was aware of that decision in October of 2019.”
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At the School Board meeting on Monday, Board of Education Member Wayne Bagley also told Toole he wanted more information about the county's request that the school system move a forced main sewer line for the construction of the roundabout at the bus and staff entrance.
In an unrelated development, after the Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday night, incumbent commissioners Mark Saxon and Mark Thomas announced their plans to seek re-election.
Bishop Mayor and former County Commissioner Johnny Pritchett announced his plans on Facebook on Monday to challenge Commission Chair Daniell. Carol Bennett, a member of the county’s Family and Children Services Board, already has announced her plan to run for County Commission chair. The three would run as Republicans in the May 19 primary.
For more on this story, with a video of the Board of Education meeting, please go to Oconee County Observations.